SN 22.22

Bhārasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ … tatra kho … “bhārañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi bhārahārañca bhārādānañca bhāranikkhepanañca. Taṁ suṇātha. Katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhāro? Pañcupādānakkhandhā tissa vacanīyaṁ. Katame pañca? Rūpupādānakkhandho, vedanupādānakkhandho, saññupādānakkhandho, saṅkhārupādānakkhandho, viññāṇupādānakkhandho; ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhāro.

The Burden of Responsibility

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you the burden, the bearer of the burden, the taking up of the burden, and the putting down of the burden. Listen … And what is the burden? The five grasping aggregates, it should be said. What five? The grasping aggregates of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. This is called the burden.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhārahāro? Puggalo tissa vacanīyaṁ. Yvāyaṁ āyasmā evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto; ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhārahāro.

And who is the bearer of the burden? The individual, it should be said; the venerable of such name and such clan. This is called the bearer of the burden.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bhārādānaṁ? Yāyaṁ taṇhā ponobhavikā nandīrāgasahagatā tatratatrābhinandinī, seyyathidaṁ— kāmataṇhā, bhavataṇhā, vibhavataṇhā. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhārādānaṁ.

And what is the taking up of the burden? It’s the craving that leads to future lives, mixed up with relishing and greed, taking pleasure there wherever it alights. That is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for continued existence, and craving for nonexistence. This is called the taking up of the burden.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bhāranikkhepanaṁ? Yo tassāyeva taṇhāya asesavirāganirodho cāgo paṭinissaggo mutti anālayo. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhāranikkhepanan”ti.

And what is the putting down of the burden? It’s the fading away and cessation of that very same craving no residue left behind; giving it away, letting it go, releasing it, and not clinging to it. This is called the putting down of the burden.”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Bhārā have pañcakkhandhā, bhārahāro ca puggalo; Bhārādānaṁ dukhaṁ loke, bhāranikkhepanaṁ sukhaṁ.

“The five aggregates are indeed burdens, and the individual is the bearer of the burden. Taking up the burden is suffering in the world, and putting the burden down is happiness.

Nikkhipitvā garuṁ bhāraṁ, aññaṁ bhāraṁ anādiya; Samūlaṁ taṇhamabbuyha, nicchāto parinibbuto”ti.

When the heavy burden is put down without taking up another, one who has plucked out craving, root and all, is hungerless, quenched.”